Trending Parent Cue

WEEK 1

EPHESIANS 2:10;
EPHESIANS 4:29

God created us as His masterpiece.

WEEK 2

ROMANS 12:4-5;
JOHN 13:34b

God created us for connection.

THINK ABOUT THIS:

WEEK 1:

Your middle schooler may hesitate to speak up when it comes to bullying. In this phase, reporting bullying to an adult is viewed as a form of tattling rather than standing up for themselves or someone else.

WEEK 2:

When you approach conversations about bullying in less direct ways, your kid may be more willing to open up. Questions like, “Did you run into anyone who was hard to get along with today?” may give you the answers you’re looking for.

DO THIS:

MORNING TIME

Reach out to your kid’s school to learn about the programs or policies they have related to bullying. Get involved in any anti-bullying initiatives in your community. Simple things like this let your kid see that you’re taking an interest in an important topic.

DRIVE TIME

Take time to reach out to the important adults in your kid’s life—their teachers, coaches, Small Group Leaders, and more. Ask them how your kid is doing and how they’re interacting with others to get an idea of what’s happening in your student’s life when you’re not around.

MEAL TIME

Share a story from your own life (preferably in middle school!) of a time you played a specific role in a bullying scenario. Whether you were the bully, the bullied, or the bystander, tell your kid how it made you feel and how you handled it. Don’t ask them to share their own story; just be open to the possibility of the conversation from there!

BED TIME

If your student has social media accounts, make sure you’re following them. Pay attention to the comments made on their pages and read the comments they’re making on the pages of others. This will give you a glimpse into how they’re interacting with the people around them.